After years of seemingly unstoppable growth, the value of Pangasius exports from Vietnam has reached a plateau, according to Dr. Nguyen Huu Dzung, VP of the VASEP.

The turning point was 2008, he said, when total export sales hit USD 1.45 billion. (They reacahed USD 1.34 billion in 2009 and USD 1.43 billion last year.)

However, during the same period, the value of exports to the EU, Vietnam’s major market for pangasius products, fell from USD 581 million in 2008 to USD 539 million in 2009 and USD 511 million in 2010. In 2008 and 2009, the volume of pangasius exported to the EU remained steady at 224,000 metric tons, but there was a slight drop in 2010 due to less fish being farmed. Read more of this post

It is true tha Viet Nam is the only country in the world breeding Pangasius successfully. However, it is also true that fish price goes up and down like a yoyo and sometimes it strikes deadly blow to farmers, processors and exporters.

Since late 2010, there has been a persistent shortage of raw Pangasius and many processing plants had to operate below their designed capacity. The lack of juveniles, soaring feed price, volatile interest rate, and difficult access to bank credit further aggravates the picture, which makes farmers more cautious than ever about making more investment in the fish farming. Such situation would surely lead everyone to believe that Pangasius price will continue to rise. However, since early May, the fish price has drop from the record VND2,900/kg to VND26,500 – 27,000/kg in only a few days. To shed a light on the matter, Vietfish International (VF) has conducted an in-dept interview with Mr. Tran Van Hau, Managing Director of HungCa Company in Dong Thap, one of the leading Pangasius processors in Viet Nam.

VF: When the fish price peaked VND29,000/kg, some farmers predicted that it would continue to increase and held their stock. However, the trend actually reversed. So according to you, what are the reasons behind the price decrease? Is it because the Pangasius market has been oversupplied? Read more of this post

Like this:

In the first four months of this year, the average price of pangasius exported to markets has been increasing in comparison with the same period of last year.

Pangasius exported to Switzerland gained the highest price with US$4.43 per kilogram, followed by Japan with US$4.25 per kilogram. The fish price paid by importers in twenty other countries such as South Korea, the US was at US$3 – 3.97 per kilogram.

There is a fact that raw pangasius production is only enough for local processing factories, not redundant for inventories. This led to
rocketed raw pangasius price, Read more of this post

In the first four months of this year, the average price of pangasius exported to markets has been increasing in comparison with the same period of last year. Pangasius exported to Switzerland gained the highest price with US$4.43 per kilogram, followed by Japan with US$4.25 per kilogram. The fish price paid by importers in twenty other countries such as South Korea, the US was at US$3 – 3.97 per kilogram. Read more of this post

Like this:

Issues with shrimp production in Vietnam and China are the lastest factors keeping prices high for buyers, sources in Asia, Europe and USA.

Coming on the back of the flooding in Thailand, which sources expect will hit the world’s largest producer to the tune of 50,000 metric tons, buyers are concerned with the outlook for other Asian shrimp-producing countries. Read more of this post

Like this:

In recent days, some local press posted information relating to the reduced price of pangasius causing confusions for both farmers and importers, especially European importers after the largest seafood exhibition in Brussels just ended.

At time of European Seafood Exposition happened from 3rd – 5th May 2011 at Brussels, Belgium, pangasius raw material prices were at record high. Raw pangasius cost paid by local processors was at VND29,000 per kilogram. At this time, frying price increased highly and harvesting was not at full season. Read more of this post

Like this:

Shrimp price rose due to farmers focused on cleaning ponds for new crop, leading to lack of raw material. Moreover, demand for seafood products rose sharply in the global market and member entreprise of CASEP (Ca Mau Seafood Exporter and Producer association) signed more export contracts with partners, espacially Japanese partners.

According to Ca Mau Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, raw black tiger shrimp price now hit record high in past ten years. Black tiger shrimp price (count 20 pc/kilogram) is at 260,000 VND per kilogram, Read more of this post

Farmers in Mekong Delta did not continue to raise pangasius, causing the dramatic fall in harvested pangasius volume and the raw materials price is too high. This year, South Vina does not try to raise its Read more of this post

From th begining of the year, the seafood enterprise in the southern province of An Giang has purchased over 30,000 MT of pangasius raw material. It’s price was 25,500 -26,000 VND per kg, up about 8500 VND/kg

Total finished pangasius exports of the province reached 27,600 MT, worth US$70 million, equivalent to 98.6 percent in volume and 9.8 percent in valueover the same period last year. The average export price of US$2,537 per ton.

Like this:

Pangasius prices in the U.S. market varied from US$1.95 – US$2.05/pound, up 19 percent compared with the same period last year. In the first half of March 2011, the average export price to the U.S. was US$3.11/pound, up 2.9 percent against that of 2010. Read more of this post